Heat interchanger



Jan. 30, 1934. J. G. KAESTNER 1,945,402

HEAT INTERCHANGER Filed Oct. 9, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0O n I\ N H I, N

* H Q N gwucm/bom Jan. 30, J KAESTNER 1,945,402

HEAT INTERC HANGER Filed Oct. 9, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 John George K Patented Jan. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES HEAT INTERCHANGER John George Kaestner, Baltimore, Md.,' assignor to E. A. Kaestner Company, a corporation of Maryland Application October 9, 1933. Serial No. 692,788

12 Claims.

This invention relates to heat inter-changers and has particular reference to devices employed for cooling milk and similar liquids by contacting the liquid with the external surfaces of pipes through which a cooling liquid is circulated.

This invention has particular application to heat inter-changers wherein the heating or cooling fluid as the case may be traverses a set of substantially parallel tubes arranged horizontally one above the other in the same vertical plane,

each tube being connected in series to the adjacent tube so as to form a zig-zag continuous passage or path.

These heat inter-changers comprise a large number of tubes with connections which are welded, brazed or soldered thereto and While the heat exchange is taking place there is a variation in temperature between the upper and lower parts that form the zig-zag passage and when this variation is sufliciently great the unequal expansion and contraction resulting therefrom produce excessive strains in the structures and particularly in the joints or connections between the pipes themselves and between their supports, thus resulting in breaks and in the loosening of parts of the apparatus. Many attempts have been made to overcome these objections by means heretofore employed, but such mechanism is rather complicated in structure, as well as expensive.

In these heat inter-changers of horizontal tubular construction, it has been found desirable to keep the liquid which passes over the tubes from flowing or creeping outwardly over the ends of the tubes and over the end connections or returns that are generally provided to connect the adjacent tubes in order to prevent spattering of the liquid. The means heretofore provided for this purpose consisted of circumferential flanges positioned on these tubes near the returns at the ends. This arrangement results in a dead space of more or less length at each junction of tubes, depending upon the distance of these flanges from the ends of these tubes and their end connections. The liquid while in this dead space does not function in the heat exchange, thus considerably reducing the efficiency of the apparatus.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide a simple, highly efficient and inexpensive means for overcoming the objections heretofore described.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide a cooler for milk and similar liquids embodying anarrangement of pipes whereby the cooling liquid circulates through a zig-zag path and wherein substantially all of the cooling liquid in such pipes always functions in the cooling, the tubular structure being supported to permit proper freedom in expansion and contraction and thereby minimize the strains and stresses in the tubular portion of the apparatus. 30

Other, further and more specific objects of this invention will become readily apparent to persons skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing one form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental view showing a bracket wherein are positioned the studs at the ends of the specially designed plugs that are connected to the horizontal tubes.

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmental views, in elevation, showing modified forms of distributing these plugs among the series of horizontal pipes shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental detail view, partly in section, showing an elbow connection to the pair of tubes and the relationship of these tubes to the plug carrying the end studs and the position of the stud in the bracket carrying the same.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section through a pair of adjacent tubes, taken along line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmental View showing a modified construction wherein the circumferential baffle or enlargement is disposed to direct the liquid to be cooled from the upper to the lower pipes as will be hereafter described.

The apparatus comprises the closely spaced pipes or tubes 1 positioned horizontally above each other in substantially vertical alinement and connected to each other by elbows 2 to form a zig-zag conduit or path for liquid flowing through these pipes. These elbows extend from the end of one pipe to a point in an adjacent pipe, at a short distance from the end of the latter pipe, so as to provide the extensions 3 at the ends of the pipes. To these extensions 3 are fastened the plugs 4 by suitable means such as welding, brazing or soldering. On these plugs 4 are the enlargements 5 having the sloping faces 6 oblique- 10 ly inclined to the axis of the tubes 1 and. extending in a downward direction toward these tubes. The plugs 4 are also provided with the end protuberances or studs 7 which rest in the bearings or seats 8 and 9 in the brackets 10 carried by the 105 uprights 11. The brackets 10 and uprights 11 form standards at each end of the apparatus.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 2 that the seat 8 is a groove while the opening providing the seat 9 is in the form of a bore. I have found 110 ing and cooling and consequent unequal expan sion and contraction of the different portions of the device take place.

In the embodiment of my invention, shown in Fig. 1, the extensions 3 and the attached plugs-4 are provided on each tube at one end only, the

other end of each tube being connected to the. is

limitations" be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

elbow which joins it to the adjacent tube below. By this arrangement as well as that shown-in Fig. 3 alternate tubes are supported by the plugs 4 in the standards at each end of the apparatus;

In using my new apparatus as av cooler for liquids such as milk, the cooling fluid from a suitable source of supply is introduced at 12 and leaves at 13 after circulating through the zig-zag path formed by the horizontal tubes and the el bows. The milk to be cooled falls from a trough 14 or other suitable container through the perforations 15 and trickles over the bankofpipes or tubes 1 and drops from the lowermost. tube into the bottom trough 16 from which the cooled milk is withdrawn through any suitable means,- such as the drain 1'7. The enlargements 5 on the plugs a prevent the milk from flowing or creep-- ing to the standards supporting the tubes; TBy obliquely inclining the surfaces 6 onthe enlarge.- ments 5 so that such surfaces 6 slope downwardly and inwardly toward the tubes 1, the trickling liquid will be deflected inwardly, andin falling will strike thelower tube instead of the deflecting enlargement on the plug below, thereby avoiding any spattering of the liquid beyond these enlargements 5 and thus saving the cooled milk from contamination. Since the deflecting surfaces are positioned longitudinally beyond the tubes holding the cooling liquid, all of the cool, ing liquid will always function to'cool the liquid flowing over my apparatus and there willbe no TI} dead end zones where the liquid in thepipes per? tendency of the falling liquid to spatter as it drops from one tube to the adjacent tube below. As a further means of eliminating spatering, I have provided the construction shown in Fig. 7 wherein the bottom 18 of the deflecting surface 6 terminates longitudinally within instead of beyond the elbow on the tube immediately below so that the liquid falling from this surface will strike the elbow of the adjacent tube instead of dropping through a much further distance to the next tube provided with the deflecting surface.

It will be seen from. the foregoing description that my new apparatus is of simple construction, easy of assembly and lends itself to ready cleaning in order to meet the requirements of sanitation in the treatment of liquids such as milk.

'wThe present invention is not limited to the specific details set forth in the foregoing examples which should be construed as illustrative and not. by way of limitation, and in view of the numerous modifications which may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, it is desired that only such I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a tube, a plug having one end fitted to said tube, an enlargement on said plug having a surface facing said end, said surface having a portion directed downwardly toward said" tube, and a. stud on the other end of said plug projecting beyond said enlargement.

2. In combination with a tube, a plug having one end fastened to said tube, an enlargement on said plug having a surface facing said end, obliquely inclined to the axis of the tube and directed downwardly toward said tube, and a stud on the other end of said plug projecting beyond said enlargement. 1 3.111 combination, a pair of heat-interchange tubes, an elbow extending from the end of one tube to the other tube at a distance from the end of the latter tube, a plug having one end fastened to said end of said latter tube, an enlargement on said plug having a surface facing said end of said latter tube, obliquely inclined to the axis of said latter tube and directed downwardlytoward said latter tube, and a stud on the other end of said plug projecting beyond said enlargement.

4. In combination, a plurality of pairs of heatinterchange tubes disposed horizontally one above theother in substantially vertical alinement, an elbow extending from the end of one tube of a. pair'to the other tube of the same pair at a distance from the end of the latter tube, a plug having one end fastened to said end of said latter tube, an enlargement on said plug having a surface facing said end'of'said latter tube, .obliquel-y inclined to the axis of said latter tube and directed downwardly toward said latter tube, and a stud on the other end of said plug projecting beyond said enlargement; the lowermost portion of the-said surface of the plug attached to one pair of tubes being disposed vertically above a portion of the elbow of the pair of tubes beneath same and the upper portion of said surface of said plug being disposed longitudinally beyond the elbows connecting the adjacent tubes.

5. In a heat-interchange apparatus, a plurality of substantially horizontal tubes disposed one above the other in substantially vertical alinemerit and connected in series by elbows reaching from the end'of one of pairs of adjacent tubes to near the end of the other adjacent tube to form a zig-zag conduit and to provide longitudinal extensions of the latter tubes beyond the elbows. a plug on each of said extensions having one end fastened thereto, an enlargement on said plug having a surface facing said end of said plug, said surface having a portion directed downwardly toward said tube, a stud on the other end of said plug, and a standard having bearings to support said studs and permit free longitudinal movement of said studs over said bearings.

6. In a heat-interchange apparatus, a plurality of substantially horizontal tubes disposed one above the other in substantially vertical alinement and connected in series by elbows reaching from the end of one of pairs of adjacent tubes to near the end of the other adjacent tube to form a zigzag conduit and to provide longitudinal extensions of the latter tubes beyond the elbows, a plug on each of said extensions having one end fastened thereto, a stud on the other end of said plug, and a deflector on said plug for preventing liquid passing over said tubes from reaching said stud and for directing the falling liquid inwardly and away from said stud.

7. In a heat-interchange apparatus, a plurality of substantially horizontal tubes disposed one above the other in substantially vertical alinement and connected in series by elbows reaching from the end of one of pairs of adjacent tubes to near the end of the adjacent lower tube to form a zig-zag conduit and to provide longitudinal extensions of the latter tubes beyond the elbows, a plug on each of said extensions having one end fastened thereto, an enlargement on said plug having a surface facing said 'end of said plug, obliquely inclined to the axis of said tube and directed downwardly toward said tube, a stud on the other end of said plug, and a standard having bearings to support said studs and permit free longitudinal movement of said studs over said bearings.

8. In a heat-interchange apparatus, a plurality of substantially horizontal tubes disposed one above the other in substantially vertical alinement and connected in series by elbows reaching from the end of one of pairs of adjacent tubes to near the end of the other adjacent tube to form a zigzag conduit and to provide longitudinal extensions of the latter tubes beyond the elbows, a closure on the end of each extension, a supporting stud projecting beyond said closure and a deflecting bafiie intermediate said extension and said stud, said deflecting baflie being disposed to prevent liquid passing over said tubes from reaching said stud and to direct the falling liquid inwardly and away from said stud.

9. In a heatinterohange apparatus, a plurality of substantially horizontal tubes disposed one above the other in substantially vertical alinement and connected in series by elbows reaching from the end of one of pairs of adjacent tubes to near the end of the other adjacent tube to form a zig-zag conduit and to provide longitudinal extensions of the latter tubes beyond the elbows, a closure on the end of each extension, a sup porting stud projecting beyond said closure and a deflecting bafile intermediate said extension and said stud, said deflecting baffle being disposed to prevent liquid passing over said tubes from reaching said stud and to direct the falling liquid inwardly and away from said stud, and a standard having bearings to support said studs and permit free longitudinal movement of said studs over said bearings.

10. In a heat-interchange apparatus, a plurality of substantially horizontal tubes disposed one above the other in substantially vertical alinement and connected in series by elbows reaching from the end of one of pairs of adjacent tubes to near the end of the other adjacent tube to form a zig-zag conduit and to provide longitudinal extensions of the latter tubes beyond the elbows, a closure on the end of each extension, a supporting protuberance projecting beyond said closure and a deflecting bafile intermediate said extension and said protuberance, said deflecting baflie being disposed to prevent liquid passing over said tubes from reaching said protuberance and to direct the falling liquid inwardly and away from said protuberance, and means for supporting said protuberance and permitting free longitudinal movement of said protuberance in said supporting means.

11. In combination with a tube, a plug having one end fitted to said tube, an enlargement on said plug having a surface facing said end, said surface having a portion directed downwardly toward said tube, a protuberance on the other end of said plug projecting beyond said enlargement, and means for supporting said protuberance and permitting free longitudinal movement of said protuberance in said supporting means.

12. In combination, a pair of heat-interchange tubes, an elbow extending from the end of one tube to the other tube at a distance from the end of the latter tube, a plug having one end fastened to said end of said latter tube, an enlargement on said plug having a surface facing said end of said latter tube, obliquely inclined to the axis of said latter tube and directed downwardly toward said latter tube, a protuberance on the other end of said plug projecting beyond said enlargement, and means for supporting said protuberance and permitting free longitudinal movement of said protuberance in said supporting means.

JOHN GEORGE KAESTNER. 

